Our facilty has routinely used a biopatch on central lines on patients less than 2 months of age with out any issues of skin irritation. I'm aware that the recommendation is for no biopatch or equivalent product be used on infants less than 2 months of age but I'm curious of other facilities practice???
Thank you!
Check instructions for your specific product. Some instructions now say use with caution in less than 2 months, a change from do not use at all.
Lynn Hadaway, M.Ed., RN, NPD-BC, CRNI
Lynn Hadaway Associates, Inc.
PO Box 10
Milner, GA 30257
Website http://www.hadawayassociates.com
Office Phone 770-358-7861
Our NICU uses the silver algidex disk exclusively but our other pediatric units use the bio patch or chg impregnated dressing on all ages including neonates.
Speaking from experience implementing dressing change kits for NICUs all over the country, the answer is all over the map. Some don't use until the baby has a keratinized layer (when is that??? 3 weeks? 4 weeks? 2 months?), several say not before 2 months, several use algidex, some don't use an antimicrobial agent at all.